ANZ New Zealand has
transformed its Ponsonby, Auckland, branch into a gigantic
art installation to celebrate the Auckland Pride Festival.

The branch has been wrapped head-to-toe in a
Pride-inspired costume by acclaimed New Zealand artist
Shannon Novak.

“Last year we brought the fabulous GAYTMs
to Auckland and Wellington,” said Antonia Watson, Chief
Financial Officer and ANZ NZ Pride Network executive
sponsor, “and this year we’ve taken things a step
further and dressed our entire branch in an amazing
colourful artwork to celebrate the rich diversity of our
staff and customers. We really are wrapped for
Pride!

“Thirty years on from Homosexual Law Reform in
New Zealand, there’s lots to celebrate and reflect on.
We’re strong believers in diversity, inclusion and
respect, and we’ve been supporters of the Pride community
in New Zealand for over a decade.”

ANZ has five staff
affinity groups – Māori and Pasifika, Asian, Indian,
Pride and Flexible Working Parents, and Watson says they are
all about encouraging staff to be themselves at
work.

“Celebrating diversity is not only the right thing
to do but also makes good business sense given the make-up
of our staff and customers who come from all walks of
life.”

With over 200 individual panels, installing the
Ponsonby wrap took more than 60 hours, not including the
many hours spent measuring, designing, and printing the
artwork.

The work, titled Rhapsody, was designed
especially for the ANZ Ponsonby branch.

“When
developing this work, the main idea that entered my mind was
an explosion of colour,” says artist Shannon Novak.
“Pride is about showing the vibrant and diverse colours of
our community to the world.”

Three GAYTMs, which
featured in ANZ’s Pride celebrations last year, will again
make an appearance in 2016. These include GAYTMs on Queen
Street, Broadway and K Road, with a fourth at Three Lamps as
part of the building wrap.

The dolled-up Ponsonby branch
and the glittering GAYTMs mark ANZ’s support of
Auckland’s Pride Festival and sponsorship of Big Gay Out
and Wellington’s Out in the Park. They also acknowledge
ANZ’s accreditation into the Rainbow Tick programme,
renewed for 2016.

Once again the GAYTMs will print special
receipts and display support messages for the Pride Parade
and Big Gay Out. ANZ will continue to donate proceeds from
the use of non-ANZ customer cards from the GAYTMs to
OUTline, a not-for-profit counselling service that supports
people dealing with gender and sexuality issues.

ANZ staff
will once again be marching in the Auckland Pride Parade on
February
20.

ANZ has been helping New Zealanders get ahead ever since we opened for business in 1840. We were New Zealand's first bank and today we have the largest network of full-service branches and ATMs, and around 8,000 talented people right around the country.

We're passionate about helping our customers follow their unique goals and dreams. Whether it's travelling the world, buying a home, building a business, investing for the future or protecting their family's future, we use our financial strength and expertise to help make it happen.

Through our sponsorships, our Staff Foundation and thousands of staff volunteer hours each year, we support causes that make a difference to New Zealanders.

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